I plan on not using any more vacation time on my job even if it means not making my production goals, cause I'm getting tired of this job eating up my vacation time._________________The TBB offers you tea and biscuits.

Only in America could that be acceptable in any way.
Anyway, I hope you stick to it!

It's not that they force me to use vacation time. It's that if/when I fall behind on production, the best way to catch up is to use vacation time, so that I'm just working to catch up and not to produce more on top of that. However, I do think the production goals are a bit unreasonable._________________The TBB offers you tea and biscuits.

Over here you outright wouldn't be allowed. Most companies force employees to take December off, if they haven't taken enough vacation during the year.

this.
Tbh, there are plenty of studies that show that not taking time off leads to decreasing productivity, so it makes total sense from a business perspective to force employees to take time off anyway. The only place in the western world which doesn't seem to see that is America.

Setting productivity goals to have some kind of KPIs is a good thing, but it shouldn't lead to stakhanovism. If the goals are unrealistic in the first place, they need to be reassessed, that is all. Otherwise, you're pretty much contributing to adding flawed data into the mix, leading your hierarchy to think they were right all along and there's no problem with the current targets.

In my opinion, you're probably underestimating the opportunity cost there: not taking days off (when already you don't have enough days off in the first place, tbh) means impacting your health and quality of life not only in the short term, but also in the long term. And considering health care costs post retirement in America, if I were you I'd reconsider this and see those days off as an important investment into your long term well being.

So, no time off taken to get free work done for a greedy employer. Instead, use those days off wisely. Like, knocking down a house, building a chimney, publishing a book, or something.

Oh, and it's not just us lazy French, plenty of non-French companies have already enforced this compulsory disconnection. As I said, by now there are plenty of studies showing letting employees work too much is actually harmful for companies and makes no business sense. Look for it on HBR or something, there's plenty of data on that topic.

Over here you outright wouldn't be allowed. Most companies force employees to take December off, if they haven't taken enough vacation during the year.

Not sure how they would stop me, considering I work from home. They wouldn't let me log in?

You'd be allowed to log in, but it'd be an HR issue from there/ You'd actually get in trouble for working during your annual leave. There's also a stigma to it in the workplace here. Those who regularly work outside of their paid/agreed hours are seen as bad at their job or having a bad manager.

I'm going to try to really focus on doing creative things. I feel like a large source of my depression is not doing what I'm wired to do and right now I just distract myself from that feeling by playing dota all the time. Quitting has proven difficult, though. I've spent so long medicating with that game now I feel weird not playing it. Haven't been able to make it more than a few days.

I went to a gym the other day for the first time since August (leaving university). Now three days later I am in continuing pain. Signing up for gym at the beginning of January is at least optically New Year's resolution-y, right?

Also want to be more organized, more active (in decision making), more direct, that kind of thing. I tend to be passive and indirect--things I dislike in others!

Final resolution: don't die in or due to a nuclear war._________________

Sounds like a good resolution
Which creating things are you planning on doing first?

Probably music and art. I used to draw fairly often but it was so difficult to overcome my anxiety in regard to what I made I just gave it up.

Quote:

Sounds cool. Have you considered a career change as well, or you just want to do creative stuff in your spare time?

It's not uncommon for people to move to a different professional field in their 30s, it might be something doable for you?

It would be nice to do something creative as a career but I have no plans to do so currently. My current job is tech support but I work from home which is ideal for me. I can set my own hours and don't have to interact with anyone in person.

Sounds like a good resolution
Which creating things are you planning on doing first?

Probably music and art. I used to draw fairly often but it was so difficult to overcome my anxiety in regard to what I made I just gave it up.

Sounds similar to me. I used to draw and record silly songs a lot, but as I know people that I'll never be anywhere near as good as, I pretty much stopped. I looked back at some shit I drew in the mid 90's a few weeks back and wish I'd stuck at it from then, as it was actually good (from the point of view of not seeing it for so long).

My main creative things at the moment are keeping my Flickr going (for over 10 years) and the Talking Real show, which has raised about £5,000 for charity over the last 4 years.

I am still struggling to be less passive, but I've made a little progress. I'm also seeing a therapist the past couple months. How bourgeois of me. It's actually been very helpful, I think.

This wasn't in any way a resolution, but I started learning guitar on my own in February. At this point, though I'm hardly amazing, I feel I can "play guitar". Feels good! I never considered myself musical before. I can play/sing at least the following songs from memory:
- "Our Moon" by Kevin Morby
- "Beautiful Strangers" by Kevin Morby
- "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" by Bob Dylan
- "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
- "30 Century Man" by Scott Walker
- "Für Elise" by Beethoven

How's not working during vacation, Golby? How are the creative pursuits, Cid?_________________

Nice. I got a guitar a year and a half ago, but I got as far as playing 3 chords badly before I got sucked into getting our office off the ground and running.

I've been signing more in the car. Much to my wife's joy.

Didn't make much resolutions other than going all in on the business this year and keeping heads above water. So I think I'm doing alright there. Creative projects wise just the usual doodles. Planning to tear down and rebuild a house so that takes a lot of planning and is semi-creative. We'll see how that goes._________________sensitive?

Not that I had set proper goals, but I made plenty of new friends, which is good. I'm also moving out of NYC, which was kind of a goal, and good too as we're moving somewhere quieter.

As for work, I'm not sure. I wanted to be less of a workaholic, but signed up for a job in which I'm gonna have to work more. Then again, the opportunity is great and totally matches my CV, so I guess that's ok?

I somehow totally missed that this got further replies after I dug it.

I'm working on claiming some therapy bills now. I work for an insurance company, so u bet I gots some benefits. Speaking of which, it's been years since I saw a dentist... oh well, almost time for 2018 resolutions! (ew, sorry for showing my teeth there.)

Eric, I do highly recommend picking up the guitar again, even for like 10 minutes a day. If you're interested, anyway, which I assume you are since you bought a guitar.